Remember When Brett Alan Tried On A Shock Collar?

Major pet retailer, Petco has decided to take shock collars off their shelves and are encouraging their competition to do the same.  And I know why...

If you have a dog and you love them, all you want to do is keep them safe.  Part of keeping them safe is getting them to follow your commands and there's no question, that can be a challenge sometimes.

A few years ago, I was at my wit's end with my Boston Terrier.  His name is Frankie and he's a nut.  He's all over the place and he's super fast.  A friend of ours had suggested that we try a shock collar.  Thinking that a little zap here and there would be worth it if it would help me to train him and keep him out of running into the road.

I'm not one who believes in punishing a dog with something that I wouldn't do to myself.  So before I even put the collar on him, I tried it on and gave myself a few zaps.

Now, I want to reiterate that the "shock" really doesn't hurt.  It's just a quick zap.  But it's the anticipation of the zap that can drive you crazy.  I was able to take the collar off when I was done.  A dog, cannot.  They have to sit and wonder when the next shock is going to come.  According to WGRZ, the reason that Petco is taking them off their shelves is that they can cause pets to be anxious, fearful, and raise stress levels.  Something I found to be true too (for me AND for Frankie).

I never ended up using the collar as a method of correction for Frankie.  I was really uncomfortable with how it made him react.  When I would put the collar on him, he would just lay down.  He wouldn't play, he didn't run.  He literally just laid down and watched me.  That's not what I wanted for my dog.  I didn't want him to be afraid of me, so that experiment ended right there.  I never even had to click any buttons to know that that method wasn't going to work.

"As of today, Petco no longer sells shock collars operated by a person with a remote in hand. Because, as a health and wellness company dedicated to improving pet lives, they have no business in our business." - Statement by Petco on their website

The move is a big one for Petco considering that shock collars made up about $10 million of Petco's 2019 $4.4 billion sales. The removal includes collars that are human and bark activated.

This does not include underground fence systems.

Instead, they are encouraging positive reinforcement training and are even offering to cover your first training.

Click here for more reasons why Petco has decided to #StopTheShock.